The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and in particular, to an image recording apparatus wherein images are recorded on a long recording medium, for example, on a recording medium wound to be in a roll shape, and the recording medium on which images have been recorded is cut to be a sheet.
FIG. 20 is a structure diagram of a conventional image recording apparatus. In the diagram, an arrangement is made so that recording medium 1000 wound to be in a roll shape may be nipped by paired rollers 1003 representing a conveyance means to be conveyed in the direction of arrow I.
On the downstream side of the paired rollers 1003, there is provided recording means 1020, which conducts recording by jetting ink in the direction of a width of recording medium 1000. The recording means 1020 representing the conventional example is composed of recording head 1021 that jets ink and of carriage 1002 that conveys the recording head 1021 in the direction (lateral direction for recording medium: direction perpendicular to the page in the diagram) perpendicular to the conveyance direction for recording medium 1000.
On the downstream side of the recording means 1020, there is provided ink drying means 1007 that dries ink jetted on recording medium 1000.
Further, on the side opposite to an image recording surface on the recording medium 1000, there is provided suction means 1006 which faces the recording means 1020 and attracts the recording medium 1000 to prevent that the recording medium 1000 is lifted in the course of image recording.
On the downstream side of the ink drying means 1007, there are provided cutter 1005 which cuts the recording medium 1000 and sheet ejection tray 1008 which stores recording medium 1000 which has been cut.
Next, operations of the structure stated above will be explained as follows.
Because of movement of the carriage 1002 in the lateral direction of recording medium 1000, a linear image is recorded in the lateral direction on the recording medium 1000.
After the linear image is recorded, the paired roller 1003 are driven, and the recording means 1020 is moved for a prescribed length in the direction of arrow I.
Then, owing to movement of the carriage 1002 in the lateral direction of recording medium 1000, a linear image is recorded again in the lateral direction on the recording medium 1000.
When the aforesaid operations are repeated, an image is recorded on recording medium 1000.
After recording of an image has been completed, recording medium 1000 is fed out by paired rollers 1003 in the direction of arrow I until the trailing edge of the recorded image comes to the position that faces cutter 1005.
Then, the cutter 1005 cuts the vicinity of the trailing edge of the image, and sheet-shaped recording medium 1000 is ejected on sheet ejection tray 1008.
After the recording medium 1000 is cut, the paired rollers 1003 rotates in the direction opposite to that in the previous cycle, and thereby, the leading edge of the recording medium 1000 is brought back to the position facing recording means 1020, and the succeeding image recording is carried out.
In an image recording apparatus having the above-mentioned structure, after an image has been recorded, recording medium 1000 is fed out until the trailing edge of the recorded image comes to the position facing cutter 1005, then, the recording medium is cut and the leading edge of the recording medium 1000 is brought back to the position facing recording means 1020.
Namely, there is a problem that the recording medium 1000 needs to be fed out and needs to be brought back when it is cut, and image recording cannot be carried out during that period of feeding out and bringing back, which makes the processing time to be long.
Further, when a recording head having a large number of nozzles is used, a length (sub-scanning length) by which the recording medium is moved in the direction of arrow I for a prescribed quantity after a linear image has been recorded turns out to be longer. Therefore, when a small-sized image is recorded, a rate of processing time for cutting is increased, and a rate of non-image-recording is increased accordingly.
Further, a configuration of image-recording apparatus, in which a cutter attached to the carriage of the recording means is utilized for cutting the recording medium in the vicinity of the end portion of the image, may be applicable other than the aforementioned image-recording apparatus. In such the configuration, however, it is impossible to arbitrarily adjust a width of a blank space.